The Great Wall of ChinaBy: Jason Falk

The Great Wall of China starts in the Hebei province in Shanhaiguan in the east, and ends in the Gansu province at Jiayuguan in the west. The Great Wall of China was believed to be 13,171 miles long, but as today the wall is officially 5,500 miles long.

Qin Shi Huang was in charge of the building of the Great Wall of China. The wall was built with rammed earth, wood, and stones. Soldiers, peasants, and rebels built the wall. It was constructed over several centuries, and claimed the lives of several thousand builders. The wall took over 2,000 years to build.

The Great Wall of China was built to defend China from its enemies and invaders from the North, especially the Mongols. The Mongols were a tribal group that would regularly conduct raids into China. Despite the wall, the Mongols eventually conquered China. The Wall also kept Chinese citizens from leaving China.

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Facts:

The Great Wall of China has been called the longest cemetery on Earth. Over a million people died building the Wall and archaeologists have found human remains buried under parts of the wall.